ABSTRACT
Background: Pituitary tumors are rare but are associated with significant symptoms that impact patients' quality of life (QOL). Surgery remains one of the most effective treatment options for long term disease control and symptom benefit, but symptom, and quality of life recovery in the subacute period has not been previously reported. This study aimed to better understand the impact of surgery on patients' symptom burden and QOL in the subacute post-surgical period. Methods: Twenty-three adult patients with pituitary tumors undergoing surgical resection at University of North Carolina Cancer Hospital were enrolled in this study. M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory Brain Tumor Module, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BN20 questionnaires were collected pre- and 1-month post- surgical resection and differences were analyzed for individual and groups of symptoms and QOL using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: Twenty adult patients had both pre-operation and post-operation follow-up visits; 60% had functional pituitary adenomas. Seven symptoms including fatigue, memory, vision, numbness, speaking, appearance, and weakness were significantly improved at the 1-month post-operation visit while one symptom, sleep, worsened. Global Health Status/QOL measurements was improved minimally from 63 (SD 25) at pre-operation to 67 (SD 22) at 1-month post-operation without statistical significance. Conclusions: This study demonstrated a rapid improvement of many symptoms in the subacute post-operative period in pituitary tumor patients. Disturbed sleep was identified as the only symptom to worsen post-operatively, encouraging potential prospective interventions to improve sleep, and subsequently improve the QOL in pituitary tumor patients following surgical intervention.
ABSTRACT
Acne vulgaris is a very common chronic inflammatory disease of the skin. The clinical features of acne range from non-inflammatory comedones to inflammatory nodules. While often perceived as an adolescent disease, the prevalence remains high into adulthood, and the manifestations can have detrimental psychosocial effects. It is therefore not surprising that many patients are motivated to seek treatment. The existing treatment strategies for acne are complex due to the multifactorial pathogenesis of the disease. Although it is difficult to cure, four categories of medications have proved efficacious in reducing acne lesions: topical agents, systemic antibiotics, systemic retinoids, and hormonal agents. Unfortunately, these medications can cause adverse effects that may limit their use. Typically, these adverse effects are mild and transient and can be remedied by altering the dose or frequency of the offending agent. However, more serious adverse effects can occur that pose a significant health risk to the patient. Understanding how to recognize and manage the adverse effects of common acne therapies is imperative to providing the safest and most appropriate treatment for each patient. This article focuses on the recognition and management of adverse effects associated with current acne medications.
